Opinion: Miami Must Be Ready For Clemson, FSU and UNC To Leave ACC
Article photo of Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney; credit to Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel /USA TODAY NETWORK.
The writing is on the wall. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. You can see what’s coming.
Throw in another half dozen old school sayings and they all would exemplify that the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles and North Carolina Tar Heels are continuing to seek avenues to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ah yes, the never ending conference realignment landscape.
Because of the impending departures, the Miami Hurricanes need truly good leadership to come up with viable plans and make the necessary steps to ensure the athletic department has a great landing spot, even if the road is full of potholes to get there.
That also includes, as a possible option, helping bring in other institutions to the ACC (see more below).
Most recently, an undisclosed source from Clemson told Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier that the Tigers could be exiting the ACC, “Sooner than later.”
I know, the Grant of Rights deal. I get it. It’s a difficult legal battle. Still, at some point, Clemson, and likely Florida State and North Carolina as well, will bolt the ACC, if one believes the chatter. A few thoughts with timelines also being a part of the process.
For one, if the Tigers were to leave within a year or two, that’s a huge upheaval for not only Miami, but the ACC. The strength of schedule goes down for each ACC member in several different sports, with football being the most obvious.
There’s also the money that’s going to be a part of that scenario (lost ticket sales, for instance), as well as how it changes recruiting, the lifeblood of Miami and every athletic department.
Additionally, if Clemson is heading off to the Big 10 or SEC – and it will be one or the other – I’d bet strongly that FSU and UNC are not far behind. Not far at all. It’s hard for me to see that working out well for Miami and the ACC from a short-term perspective, but there will be options. Long-term, I am not as concerned. Miami fans should not be either.
Now, if it’s a little further down the line, like five or maybe eight years, that’s going to provide the Miami administration with valuable time to maneuver. These big-box decisions typically move like molasses. That’s okay, as it’s a way for more sensible and impactful decisions to be made.
Perhaps some of those decisions could even include a mega-hoops conference (UConn, Georgetown, etc.?). Personally, I’d love that and believe it would be quite profitable as well. Regardless of the timing, there is one thing that I am 100% certain of.
Miami must possess multiple plans to help not only itself but other members of the conference. If they all work together to keep the ACC strong, there’s a much better chance to triumph when the dust settles. That does not mean it will be easy.
There could be some uh-oh moments coming from major television news networks like ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, etc., when Clemson and/or other members leave the ACC. That does not mean Miami should jump on the first opportunity that comes along afterwards.
Again, working with the remaining ACC members is a starting point. Use sound judgment and be mindful of the future. It’s not always going to be rosy with losing those (three?) schools, but there are other fruitful avenues to explore.
To recap, there needs to be several possible plans. Several really good possible plans, for Miami to come out of this conference realignment mess and still be in a good position. If the Miami administration does its due diligence, the result should work out in the end. It just might have some bumps along the way to get there.
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